Literacy Work Stations Source: Diller, D.(2003) Literacy Work Stations, Making Centers Work
Kyrene Reading Instruction Focus: Improve student achievement through implementation of curriculum and adopted resources, specifically the core reading program. Adopted Core Reading Program: Harcourt Trophies Consider the appropriate use of the following resources/strategies to support the use of the core program: Adopted Trade books: To provide opportunities for students to apply and extend their learning of the core curriculum, as a supplement to the core reading program. Trade books are not meant to be used as an alternative to the core program or a replacement of it. Ashlock Strategies: To enhance the use of the core program through strategies that support explicit, systematic instruction. Literacy Work Stations: To provide a means to implement quality independent practice of previously taught literacy objectives. Literacy stations may be used to support distributive practice, differentiation, and engagement for students while teachers work with small, flexible groups of students.
What is a Literacy Work Station? A literacy workstation is an area within the classroom where students work alone or interact with one another, using instructional materials to explore and expand their literacy (Diller, 2003)
Literacy Work Stations verses Traditional Learning Centers Literacy Work Stations -Materials are taught and use for instruction first. Then they are placed in the work station for independent use. -Stations remain set up all year long. Materials are changed to reflect children s reading levels, strategies, being taught, and topics being studied. -Stations are used for students meaningful independent work and are an integral part of each child s instruction. All students go to work stations daily. -Materials are differentiated for students with different needs and reading level. -The teacher meets with small flexible groups for guided reading or skills instruction during literacy workstations. Traditional Learning Centers -New materials were often placed in the center with out being used in teaching. The teacher may have shown how to use the materials once but they were often introduced with all the other new center materials at once. -Centers were often changed weekly with units of study. -Centers were often used by students when they finished their work. Centers were used for fun and motivation or something extra -All students did the same activities at centers. There was not usually much differentiation. -If the teacher met with small groups, each group often did the same task.
Grow your Work Stations from your Whole group Instruction
Gradual Release of Responsibility Modeling through the use of read alouds, modeled writing, shared reading, guided writing and mini-lessons Hand Holding Students practice with teacher in guided reading, writing groups or mini-lessons Independence Students work independently at work stations with materials and strategies previously taught.
Principles for Teaching with Literacy Work Stations 1. Focus on practice and purpose, not the stuff 2. Link to your teaching 3. Slow down to speed up 4. Balance process and product 5. Less is more. Don t put out too much at once 6. Use Novelty 7. Simplify
Literacy Workstations in Action While teachers are working with small guided reading and skills groups, students work independently at workstations that provide meaningful literacy activities.
Benefits of Literacy Work Stations Provides students with meaningful literacy practice activities. Meets the individual instructional needs of all students. Provides students with opportunity to work independently to practice using their reading skills. It is fun and engaging for students.
The Focus of Literacy Work Stations
Key Components of Reading Phoneme Awareness: the ability to isolate and manipulate the sounds of language Phonics: the alphabetic principle mapping print to sound Vocabulary: the ability to understand and use a broad variety of words Fluency: the ability to read with accuracy, automaticity and expression Comprehension: the ability to understand what is read by applying appropriate strategies
Five Big Ideas Phonemic Awareness Phonics Fluency Teach to Automaticity Vocabulary Comprehension Teach deeper Cognitive Processing
Changing Emphasis of Big Ideas K 1 2 3-8 Phonological Awareness Alphabetic Principle Automaticity and Fluency with the Code Vocabulary Comprehension Letter Sounds & Combinations Listening Listening Multisyllables Reading Reading
Big Ideas
Mini Lessons - Short and Focused (5 to 10 minutes) - Explicit - Types of Mini Lessons - Beginning of the year how tos - Introducing a work station - After adding something new - Reviewing work station activities - Anchor charts - I Can Lists
I Can List What is an I Can list? A list if activities generated by the class that they could do at a work station. Why use I can lists? -Helps build student ownership and buy in. -They provide students with choice. - Provides opportunity for differentiation. Pictures from Mrs. Santillan s 1 st Grade Class Niños
Management Boards - Pocket Charts - Rotation Wheel -Planning Sheets Pictures from Mrs. Laidley s Kindergarten Class Niños -Work Station Check List
Together in your group discuss: Ways to use the I Can list or Management Boards and Planning Sheets
Ticket Out the Door What was one key learning you had from the FAQs section in chapter 2?
Evaluating Work Station Activities Does the literacy station activity address one of the Big Five? How does this literacy station activity employ effective and efficient means to reach one of the Big Five goals? Does the activity provide meaningful literacy practice for your students and support what your are teaching? Is there anything that could be changed or added to this the activity to make it a more meaningful literacy activity for your students?
Work Stations for the Emergent Stage Emergent readers: develop phonological awareness develop print awareness and concepts of print learn about letters and sounds experiment with writing, using letters or letterlike forms
Work Stations for the Early readers: Early Stage learn to read and write high frequency words learn to decode and spell single syllable words use pictures and print to construct meaning, both in reading and in their writing are acquiring fluency they reread to self correct and attend well to print.
Work Stations for the Transitional Stage Transitional readers: are gaining in fluency have good decoding skills but may lack comprehension have difficulty with decoding longer words or certain vowel patterns are making the transition to silent reading and are learning to do more editing and revising
How to Document Progress at Literacy Work Station Anecdotal notes Student work samples Take photos of students working at stations ( twice a year) Use work station sharing time to collect information
Classroom Library What the Children Do Read familiar books Reading independent-level texts Sharing favorite parts of a book with a partner Writing a response to a book See pages 27-28 for more things you can have your students do in the classroom library. Picture from Mrs. Laidley s Kindergarten Class Niños It isn t necessarily a silent area; rather it s a spot where children read and talk about books.
Classroom Library What the Teacher Needs to Model How to choose a book How to read or pretend read How to talk about books How to put a book away How to write a book response or review How to write in a reading log How to handle books (Book Hospital)
Classroom Library Ways to Keep the Station Going Change independent reading books to match students current reading levels Switch out books to go along with different units Billy s Picks of the Week- Let Students pick out there favorite books Our Favorite Books Chart Book Recommendations Chart
Classroom Library Assessing and Keeping Kids Accountable Observe two students a day Periodically review student reading logs Have students share during class sharing time Periodically evaluate student book reviews or responses
Big Book Work Station What the Children Do Pointing to words (one to one matching) at emergent levels Reading in phrases at early and transitional levels Using reading strategies modeled during shared reading Talking about favorite parts Writing personal connections or questions on sticky notes Matching or finding words in Big Book Acting out a Big Book
Big Book Work Station What the Teacher Needs to Model How to turn pages How to use the pointer How to use sticky notes How to choose a Big Book How to use props for retelling How to write at the Big Book station Using Big Book task cards
Big Book Work Station Ways to Keep the Station Going Change Big Book selections Add class made Big Books Add new task cards Add new pointers and props Add sticky notes with words from the book for matching to the Big Book Picture from Kindergarten Class
Big Book Work Station Assessing and Keeping Kids Accountable Periodically observe students while working with the Big Books to document their reading behavior Periodically invite students to perform the reading of a Big Book during sharing time Collect students sticky notes and periodically review Use a Things we learned from Reading this Big Book Chart
Writing Work Station What the Children Do Write in a variety forms (lists, cards, letters, stories, etc.) Work on pieces from Writer s Workshop Use books from read aloud as models for writing Begin to use reference materials, such as word walls, help boards or dictionaries Use a computer for brainstorming, drafting and publishing Tell a friend a story
Writing Work Station What the Teacher Needs to Model How to generate ideas for writing How to use a Help Board Page 55 and Word Wall How to use materials How to put materials away How to confer with a peer How to use a word book Picture from 1st Grade Class
Writing Work Station Ways to Keep the Station Going Change writing tools Change paper, stationary, cards and any other materials that could be changed to go along with units or seasonal happenings Add to the help board Add pre-stapled books Change writing prompts Use a Class Mail System
Writing Work Station Assessing and Keeping Kids Accountable Spot check students using the Writing Work Station Assessment Form (Appendix D - Page186) Have students share writing pieces during class sharing time Collect student writing products Post samples of good and poor writing so students have something to compare their work with
Drama Work Station What the Children Do Retell a familiar book Using puppets to retell a familiar book Reading a reader s theater script for a familiar book Reading a familiar play Reading a student authored play Creating and using character cards
Drama Work Station What the Teacher Needs to Model How to retell a story How to use props and puppets How to take turns to retell a story How to read a play How to write a play How to put materials away Picture from 1st Grade Class
Drama Work Station Ways to Keep the Station Going Add a new stories, plays and nonfiction books Add new props and puppets Include student made books for retelling Write a play together Use different character cards Use stories with students names and their photos on Popsicle sticks as props
Drama Work Station Assessing and Keeping Kids Accountable Spot check students using the Drama Work Station Assessment Form (Appendix E Page193) Invite students to perform their retelling or play during work station sharing time Take digital pictures or have students take pictures of each other performing. They then can write captions for their pictures and display them at the drama work station.
ABC Work Station What the Children Do Sorting or making letters Reading or writing ABC books Sorting or making words Doing word hunts Playing word games Using interactive word walls
ABC Work Station What the Teacher Needs to Model How to form letters How to read and write ABC books How to play word games How to sort and speed sort How to use dictionaries and word books Picture from 1st Grade Class How to use the interactive word wall How to use and store ABC materials
ABC Work Station Differentiation at this Work Station Assign specific tasks to groups of students based on their needs To do this you can try using: Task Cards Use a chart Use a color coded system to designate which activities they can choose for their practice level
ABC Work Station Ways to Keep the Station Going Add a new word study games Change the words in the games and activities Vary the materials for making words Add new word study books Let students design their own task cards for things to do at work station Add new word study books
ABC Work Station Assessing and Keeping Kids Accountable When appropriate have students record their word sorts or write about what they learned doing their ABC activity Once a week use the ABC/Word Study Station Assessment Periodically have students share what they learned during work station sharing time.
Poetry Work Station What the Children Do Individual reading or buddy reading Illustrating a poem Filling in the blanks Building a poem Writing a poem Listening to a poem Perform a poem
Poetry Work Station What the Teacher Needs to Model How to read poem fluently and with good expression How to find rhyming words How to make connections How to illustrate a poem How to buddy read a poem How to write a poem How to create visual images
Poetry Work Station Ways to Keep the Station Going Change the poems and add new poetry books Write poem with the class and add to the station Add new paper or shape paper for copying poems Change the focus of the station to song writing, tongue twisters or jump rope rhymes Add new writing and drawing tools for illustrating poems
Poetry Work Station Assessing and Keeping Kids Accountable Periodically use the Poetry Station Assessment Form Have students share favorite poems during work station sharing time. Periodically collect poetry notebooks or poems students write
Other Work Stations Computer Listening Buddy Reading Puzzles & Games Overhead Pocket Chart Creation Math Handwriting Science/ Social Studies
How to Add Literacy to Traditional Kindergarten Centers House Keeping Simple recipes, children s cookbooks and class address or telephone book Blocks Maps, architectural books, take pictures of structures for class building book Sand and Water Letter molds, catch ABC confetti, bury magnetic letters for a letter treasure hunt